The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-02-16
TIE SIX cH3r FoE THE >ouTn.
Row the Farmers May Diversity Their
work to advantage.


Row the Farmers May Diversity Thei,
work to Advantage.
:! :.orin Dlodsctt writes to q Western
:oanc.: Il is possible to aGd 70 the pres.
e,t crcp Of the planting States : crol
nct less in It's realized vaiUe to tAc peo-
nc WHO grow it than The cotton crcp is
now. Tie silk cIop OF Europe has The
ehier resource OF the northern provinces
os Ita!~ and o; several districts o: France
tcr mere than half a century. It IS still
al t;,c highest position for those coun-
tries, b,it It cannot be increased and
made adequate to supply this country
with silk. 1t cannot be increased for
rc:tsons connected with the close occu-
patton OF the land here, the heavy taxes,
and tie cmbarrassTents and restrictions
! on the cccupicrs Of the soil; the heavy
rentals aud bhe absolute need Of growing
as much food as possible. and tie labor
! OF tne people can take care Of.
IN the ccrtrai and southern States here
the situation is wholly different. There
! is 3 s,,rellis Of land, very lightly taxed,
ard not incumlo=cG, but almost abso-
: lr,tei:- cat O: use, because it does not pay
20 cultivate it IN competition with the
West.
There is 10 argent demand for labor
to produce food crops and no restriction
whatever on the freedom Of the owners
OF land or tie occupiers OF the farms IN
the few cases where the occupants are
the OWES. There is no crushing ex-
action nf taxes or rentals from the peo-
pie, ard sae only necessity is to produce
:: crop chargaable directly for money.
the cotton crop has had g great posi-
ton as the money earning crop Of the
South. i,att It docs not return Tic most
necessary of the expenses incurred in
growing it to the small planter or farm
CT. 1t does not pay s. dollar for his
labor. and it rapidly exhausts 81 the
fertility Q thc soil. It costs largely to
prepare for it, and requires long waiting
TO realize what II does yield. Valuable
as it still is 10 the large planters and on
rich lands, it has ceased to be valuable
TO the greater body Of the small farmers,
and especially to the eastern States Of
the South.
But IL all these older States both the
soil and the climate especially favor the
growth OF silk. The mulberry IS in
(;igeHcas, AID i grows freely without
cultivation. any part OF The country
ana all classcs OF lands will produce it
profu$ely without cost and without
pIoughing or other cultivation. Tie land
being practically free Of taxes, tie Cccu-
pants are free to earn the most they can
and to use the whole of what they do
earn.
After the mulberry trees are Sufficient
II grown it is an easy work to turn them
into &;lk-a few Gays only, not more
than q lnonta-and the crop OF tie year
IS grown and gathered, ready for sale.
Tie cocooEs need no preparation OF con-
sequence, or none which involves any
material cost. II & iiature is near at
hand they can be immediately reelcd,
and tie rceicd six is worth five dollars a
pouId-not merely the six oc e!Sat cents
a pound which the Sinr:el cotton brings.
Tie cocooDs. when gathered, ar: worth
eighty cents to one dollar a pound; but
they arc not difficult to reel, ard may be
reeled at once, as is done in Italy. The
full value OF the silk can then be realized.
This silk when reeled is the most en-
during and permanently valuable of ell
fbres; as much more valuable for any
definite weight than any other rs gold IS
more valuable than iron.
There is not the least practical difiicul
" III producing sill; in any village or on
any farm. No machinery is nelued, and
not 4 dollar need bc paid for any tools
CT fixtures. Light feeding francs may
be made by any man or Intelligent boy
Of light boards or Of branches of trees.
Shelter from storms must be taken to
avoid wettipg or chilling the young
worms. The eggs must be kept in 9
cool and dry place until the leaves ap-
pear. 1t ispot proposed to give precise
directions here, but only to assure all
intelligent persons that there is nothing
more required than every such person
can rea &i!y learn. If a mistake is made
in some process once, it may be easily
corrected the next time.
The writer Of this note has had a life
time experience in the public service and
a thorough knowledge OF the cultivation
and resources of the country for a long
period, and of the South particularly,
since 1851. Then tie best realization
from the cotton crop was still very i'm
perfect, because cotton was very little
manufactured. Now manufacturers Of
cotton in the South are general and
prosperous, but to grow cotton is no
longer possible, with profit, on the worn
lands OF the esatern States South.
Stil more, the circumstances Of the
country are greatly changed, and an i'm
merse consumption Of raw silk has been
established. The present demand takes
500, eco pounds per month, or 100000
polnds PEE year, worth $50, 600, 900.
The imports OF raw silk for Novemher,
1856, we're 54G, ,G35 pounds, yrile s.
G.l3, i'll. Ii half OF this were not grown
here It wcuId cost The mercst tritle to
the growers, beyond their time, and
would be nei profit OF almost its full
value. 1t would be so much directly
added to the national resources, and it
would al come 10 those who have 10
otEcr resource to convert their time into
money.
- channel has been cut through from